Stepping Out launched the career of one of our generation’s greatest Jazz artists. Diana Krall’s 1993 debut shows that she had the goods right from the get-go. Krall sings with honesty, subtlety, and persuasion while playing the piano with head-shaking authority, both as accompanist – she offers amazing asides in between vocal phrases – and as an absolutely A-one improviser. The Justin Time Essentials Collection introduces the album to a new generation of fans, but this time with an added bonus track from the original sessions – Diana’s incredible arrangement of “Summertime”.

Like a mink draped over mahogany, Diana Krall’s luxuriously supple alto adorns the vintage songs of romance and longing found on Love Scenes with a palpable aura of glamour and late-night cool. Her ostensibly effortless command of phrasing and intonation, whether the mood is seduction or a sweet sassiness, further fortifies the opinion that the Canadian vocalist-pianist possesses one of the great female jazz voices to surface in the late 1990s. Augmented by spare but skillful instrumentation from bassist Christian McBride and guitarist Russell Malone, Krall sustains a largely quiet (though hardly sleepy) ambience throughout the CD’s 12 selections, from Irving Berlin’s “How Deep Is the Ocean (How High Is the Sky),” which she also uses as a showcase for her touch at the keyboard, to Gershwin’s “They Can’t Take That Away from Me.” Her swing is artfully subdued (“All or Nothing at All”), and her wry, expressive approach to “Peel Me a Grape” is pure charm. Yet Krall shines most luminously on languid gems such as “I Don’t Stand a Ghost of a Chance with You” and “Garden in the Rain.” Anyone in search of an album ideal for watching city lights at 2 a.m. should keep Love Scenes in mind

The Look of Love doesn’t tamper with Diana Krall’s ongoing success, continuing the emphasis on romantic ballads and embracing them with lush string arrangements. At the core, of course, is Krall’s voice. She’s developing into one of the great torch singers, with an approach that’s both direct and subtly nuanced, true to the song and yet deeply personal.

Singer/pianist Diana Krall breaks new ground interpreting modern standards by Tom Waits, Mose Allison, and Joni Mitchell, as well as compositions by herself and new husband, Elvis Costello. Krall’s piano-jazz cred comes through loudly and clearly on her Count Basie-styled version of the Bonnie Raitt staple “Love Me Like a Man” (written by folk-bluesman Chris Smither). But it’s the collaborations with her spouse that unearth untapped emotional nuances of her velvet voice; many are reminiscent of Bill Evans’s moody, impressionistic pieces. The title track, “Narrow Daylight,” “Abandoned Masquerade,” and “I’m Coming Through” all deal with love and loss. “Departure Bay,” a picturesque ode to her hometown of Nanaimo, B.C., proves that this is the start of something big, and that two heads–and hearts–are better than one.

DSD file created by Gus Skinas from the original DSD audio used to create the existing SACD.

From the moment you hear pianist-vocalist Diana Krall perform, amazing things take place. Her extraordinary ability to communicate the art of song with her delicate phrasing, dynamic vocal range and sensitive lyric interpretation creates an entrancing mood. Diana’s gift is her ability to capture the moment, the essence of the story — “the goosebump factor,” as described by Grammy-winning producer Tommy LiPuma. On her Verve debut, When I Look In Your Eyes, Diana’s artistic voice expands beyond the standard piano-trio setting of her previous releases, and on several selections is backed by the graceful talents of composer/arranger Johnny Mandel.

With this CD, the young Canadian singer/pianist/arranger joins forces with producer Tommy LiPuma, who places his orchestral stamp on eight of the 13 tracks. It is the latest attempt to push Krall to an even wider pop/smooth jazz audience than she already enjoys. After all, Nat Cole, Wes Montgomery, and George Benson, among others, went this route. Wonder if she’d agree the cuts sans strings were more fun and challenging? Krall does get to it with central help from bassists John Clayton and Ben Wolfe, drummers Jeff Hamilton and Lewis Nash, and guitarist Russell Malone, all stellar players. Krall’s voice is sweet and sexy. She’s also flexible within her range and at times a bit kitschy, mostly the hopeless romantic. On this CD of love songs, it’s clear she’s cool but very much in love with this music. Bob Dorough’s “Devil May Care” and the insistent “Best Thing for You” really click. Favorites are a decent Shearing-esque “Let’s Fall in Love” with vibist Larry Bunker; a suave slow bossa on the opening number, “Let’s Face the Music”; the lusher-than-lush title track; and especially an incredible horn-fired fanfare intro/outro on the hip “Pick Yourself Up.” Some might call this fluff or mush, but it depends solely on your personal taste. This will certainly appeal to Krall’s fans, lovers, and lovers at heart. –AllMusic Review by Michael G. Nastos

DSD file created by Gus Skinas from the original DSD audio used to create the existing SACD.

From the luxurious opening chords of the first track, even before Diana Krall has sung a single beautiful note, her new Verve release — The Look Of Love — has us hooked. After winning a Best Jazz Vocal Performance Grammy for 1999’s platinum-selling When I Look In Your Eyes, Diana Krall delivers her best album yet — a lush, cinematic collection of ballads and bossa nova tunes. The Look Of Love brings to mind such classic Frank Sinatra albums as and Only The Lonely. But the elegant piano solos, the sensual vocals and the wickedly-modern sense of humor are, inimitably, all Krall.

2001 Grammy Award winner for Best Engineered Album Non-Classical, Diana Krall’s The Look of Love – produced by Verve Music Group Chairman Tommy LiPuma – is a lush, cinematic collection of ten ballads and bossa nova tunes featuring the London Symphony Orchestra as arranged and conducted by the legendary Claus Ogerman.

Krall’s longstanding relationship with LiPuma (Barbra Streisand, Natalie Cole) shines through here as he wonderfully showcases her mastery as a vocalist and pianist like no other. From the smoky rendition of “Cry Me A River,” to the heartbreaking tenderness of “I Get Along Without You Very Well,” to the Spanish language classic “Besame Mucho,” not to mention a sultry rendition of the title track, The Look of Love is the album that Diana Krall dreamt about making and one her fans longed for and have since adored.
Diana Krall has a good voice and plays decent piano, but this somewhat ridiculously packaged Verve CD seems like an obvious attempt to turn her into a pop icon, and sex symbol to boot. The bland arrangements by Claus Ogerman (who conducts the London Symphony Orchestra or the Los Angeles Session Orchestra on each track) border on easy listening, while Krall and her various supporting musicians, including John Pisano, Russell Malone, Christian McBride, and Peter Erskine (among others), clearly seem stifled by their respective roles. There are plenty of strong compositions here, including standards like “I Remember You,” “The Night We Called It a Day,” and “I Get Along Without You Very Well,” but the unimaginative and often syrupy charts take their toll on the performances. What is even sillier is the label’s insistence on attempting to photograph the artist in various sultry poses, which she evidently wants to discourage by refusing to provide much of a smile (the rumor is that she’s not happy with this part of the business at all). If you are looking for unchallenging background music, this will fit the bill, but jazz fans are advised to check out Krall’s earlier releases instead. –AllMusic Review by Ken Dryden

Produced by Tommy LiPuma and Diana Krall. Recorded by Al Schmitt at Capitol Studios, Hollywood and Avatar Studios, New York. Mixed by Al Schmitt at Capitol Studios, Hollywood. Mastered by Doug Sax and Robert Hadley at The Mastering Lab, Los Angeles.

Singer/pianist Diana Krall breaks new ground interpreting modern standards by Tom Waits, Mose Allison, and Joni Mitchell, as well as compositions by herself and new husband, Elvis Costello. Krall’s piano-jazz cred comes through loudly and clearly on her Count Basie-styled version of the Bonnie Raitt staple “Love Me Like a Man” (written by folk-bluesman Chris Smither). But it’s the collaborations with her spouse that unearth untapped emotional nuances of her velvet voice; many are reminiscent of Bill Evans’s moody, impressionistic pieces. The title track, “Narrow Daylight,” “Abandoned Masquerade,” and “I’m Coming Through” all deal with love and loss. “Departure Bay,” a picturesque ode to her hometown of Nanaimo, B.C., proves that this is the start of something big, and that two heads–and hearts–are better than one.

While the jazz fascists (read: purists) may be screaming “sellout” because Diana Krall decided to record something other than standards this time out, the rest of us can enjoy the considerable fruit of her labors. The Girl in the Other Room is, without question, a jazz record in the same manner her other outings are. The fact that it isn’t made up of musty and dusty “classics” may irk the narrow-minded and reactionary, but it doesn’t change the fact that this bold recording is a jazz record made with care, creativity, and a wonderfully intimate aesthetic fueling its 12 songs. Produced by Tommy LiPuma and Krall, the non-original material ranges from the Mississippi-fueled jazzed-up blues of Mose Allison’s “Stop This World” to contemporary songs that are reinvented in Krall’s image by Tom Waits (“Temptation”), Joni Mitchell (“Black Crow”), Chris Smither (“Love Me Like a Man”), and her husband, Elvis Costello (“Almost Blue”). These covers are striking. Krall’s read of Allison’s tune rivals his and adds an entirely different shade of meaning, as does her swinging, jazzy, R&B-infused take on Smither’s sexy nugget via its first hitmaker, Bonnie Raitt. Her interpretation of Waits’ “Temptation” is far more sultry than Holly Cole’s because Krall understands this pop song to be a jazz tune rather than a jazzy pop song. “Black Crow” exists in its own space in the terrain of the album, because Krall understands that jazz is not mere articulation but interpretation. Likewise, her reverent version of Costello’s “Almost Blue” takes it out of its original countrypolitan setting and brings it back to the blues.
As wonderful as these songs are, however, they serve a utilitarian purpose; they act as bridges to the startling, emotionally charged poetics in the material Krall has composed with Costello. Totaling half the album, this material is full of grief, darkness, and a tentative re-emergence from the shadows. It begins in the noir-ish melancholy of the title track, kissed with bittersweet agony by Gershwin’s “Summertime.” The grain in Krall’s pained voice relates an edgy third-person tale that is harrowing in its lack of revelation and in the way it confounds the listener; it features John Clayton on bass and Jeff Hamilton on drums. In “I’ve Changed My Address,” Krall evokes the voices of ghosts such as Louis Armstrong and Anita O’Day in a sturdy hip vernacular that channels the early beat jazz of Waits and Allison. The lyric is solid and wonderfully evocative not only of time and place, but of emotional terrain. Krall’s solo in the tune is stunning. “Narrow Daylight,” graced by gospel overtones, is a tentative step into hope with its opening line: “Narrow daylight enters the room, winter is over, summer is near.” This glimmer of hope is short-lived, however, as “Abandoned Masquerade” reveals the shattered promise in the aftermath of dying love. “I’m Coming Through” and “Departure Bay,” which close the set, are both underscored by the grief experienced at the loss of Krall’s mother. They are far from sentimental, nor are they sophomoric, but through the eloquence of Krall’s wonderfully sophisticated melodic architecture and rhythmic parlance they express the experience of longing, of death, and of acceptance. The former features a beautiful solo by guitarist Anthony Wilson and the latter, in its starkness, offers memory as reflection and instruction. This is a bold new direction by an artist who expresses great willingness to get dirt on her hands and to offer its traces and smudges as part and parcel of her own part in extending the jazz tradition, through confessional language and a wonderfully inventive application that is caressed by, not saturated in, elegant pop. –AllMusic Review by Thom Jurek

DSD file created by Gus Skinas from the original DSD audio used to create the existing SACD.

Grammy nominated Love Scenes features Diana’s mastery of the romantic ballad in an intimate piano trio setting with Russell Malone on guitar and Christian McBride on bass.

“But to me there is a broader and more personal attachment to each of the songs than the standard definition of romantic love might imply. I think that these songs represent the strength of love, including the love of family and friends. But rather than describing my own thoughts about each song, it is my hope that all of you who listen to the music and read the lyrics will discover and imagine your own personal “love scenes” among the mountains, oceans, rain and gardens of these songs.” –Diana Krall

Vocalist/pianist Diana Krall was a very hot property by the time this Impulse CD was released. Teamed in a trio with her regular guitarist Russell Malone and bassist Christian McBride, Krall here mostly emphasizes ballads having something to do with love. She is at her best on “I Don’t Know Enough About You,” “I Don’t Stand a Ghost of a Chance With You,” and “How Deep Is the Ocean.” However, Krall’s earlier Nat King Cole tribute had more variety in tempos and moods and is recommended first. A decent but not essential release. –AllMusic Review by Scott Yanow

This Diana Krall album pays tribute to the Nat King Cole Trio with a set of ballads, medium and up-tempo tunes including “If I Had You”, “Frim Fram Sauce”, and “Deed I Do”.

Pianist/vocalist Diana Krall pays tribute to the Nat King Cole Trio on her Impulse! set. In general, the medium and up-tempo tunes work best, particularly such hot ditties as “I’m an Errand Girl for Rhythm,” “Frim Fram Sauce,” and “Hit That Jive Jack.” Krall does not attempt to directly copy Cole much (either pianistically or vocally), although his influence is obviously felt on some of the songs. The slow ballads are actually as reminiscent of Shirley Horn as Cole, particularly the somber “I’m Through With Love” and “If I Had You.” Guitarist Russell Malone gets some solo space on many of the songs and joins in on the group vocal of “Hit That Jive Jack,” although it is surprising that he had no other opportunities to interact vocally with Krall; a duet could have been delightful. Bassist Paul Keller is fine in support, pianist Benny Green backs Krall’s vocal on “If I Had You,” and percussionist Steve Kroon is added on one song. Overall, this is a tasteful effort that succeeds.

Krall’s fifth album won Grammys for Best Jazz Vocal and Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical (and was nominated for Album of the Year). The album colors Krall’s classic jazz stylings with gorgeous orchestral arrangements on numbers by Porter, Berlin, Gershwin and others. The record features the talents of A-list jazzers like Russell Malone and Alan Broadbent and was ranked by Billboard as the 9th best jazz album of the 1990s.

With this album, the young Canadian singer/pianist/arranger joins forces with producer Tommy LiPuma, who places his orchestral stamp on eight of the 13 tracks. It is the latest attempt to push Krall to an even wider pop/smooth jazz audience than she already enjoys. After all, Nat Cole, Wes Montgomery, and George Benson, among others, went this route. Wonder if she’d agree the cuts sans strings were more fun and challenging? Krall does get to it with central help from bassists John Clayton and Ben Wolfe, drummers Jeff Hamilton and Lewis Nash, and guitarist Russell Malone, all stellar players. Krall’s voice is sweet and sexy. She’s also flexible within her range and at times a bit kitschy, mostly the hopeless romantic. On this disc of love songs, it’s clear she’s cool but very much in love with this music. Bob Dorough’s “Devil May Care” and the insistent “Best Thing for You” really click. Favorites are a decent Shearing-esque “Let’s Fall in Love” with vibist Larry Bunker; a suave slow bossa on the opening number, “Let’s Face the Music”; the lusher-than-lush title track; and especially an incredible horn-fired fanfare intro/outro on the hip “Pick Yourself Up.” Some might call this fluff or mush, but it depends solely on your personal taste. This will certainly appeal to Krall’s fans, lovers, and lovers at heart.